Osteoblast--Could you help me out?

Osteoblast,
I had posted a reply on my "biking thread" to you but maybe you didn't see
it. I was wondering which book you thought was best to try first. I was
going to order "Walk tall, an exercise program for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis" by Sara Meeks. Then in your post to me, you mentioned Bone Building Body Shaping by Joyce Vedral. I was just wondering which book you thought is more helpful??

Also I was going to order Scott Coles Tai Chi for Beginners, but you also
talked about Scott Coles AM/PM, which of those do you find more helpful?
I like the idea of the mention of meditation (AM/PM) as I do have problems with anxiety (and the diag of osteoporosis is not helping) and maybe this
would be of help to me in this area too.

Hi Jodianne- I'd love to share my experience with you. Regarding the Sara Meeks Walk Tall program I liked it. The bulk of it in the book to my way of thinking, is a stretching program. The stretching program is very methodical and worthwhile for sure! Then you move into some back strengthening exercises which are great too.And, the back ex. are challenging and I think very important! Also included are balance exercises. And, in the back of the book alot of how to's/ and avoid moves for everyday things that we all do. To me this was a very good methodical program. You can see that Sara has spent many many years working with people with osteo. I think that for me this is one part of a larger program. While some of the moves use a resistance band- and I really like these moves for what she call scapular stabilization , if a person can you should add weight lifting to what is indicated in the book. I understand that Sara travels throughout the US and gives programs for phys. ther. on osteo work. I checked in my area and found a phys. ther. group that actually hosted her visit and had several of their staff do the program. I went to about five sessions with a phys ther. who was in Sara's program. She had me use a foam core roller for many of the stretches in Sara's book and also reviewed the weight lifting program I had cobbled together using the Vedral book. The phys. ther. showed me the materials that Sara distributed in the seminar which incl. weight lifting moves to include so Sara does incl. weight lifting , it's just not in the Walk Tall book. That is why I say you would want to supplement it with weight lifting if your body allows , and doing it with a very slow progression of weight and in good form. If you could find a phys. ther. who trained with Sara in your area ,and if your insur would cover it , I would highly suggest this approach. You can contact Sara through her website too, which I did to find the local contact. Even if you don't do work with someone trained by Sara, the book offers alot. On the somewhat negative side, the book illustrates moves with drawings, now maybe Sara felt this is the best way to show how to move. It takes a little getting used to, and at first it's cumbersome juggling between the pamphlet, your reading glasses( if you use them) and doing the move. But, in time you will hardly need to look at the book. So in the end the diagrams are fine.Oh, the bulk of the program is done on the floor. There is getting down and getting up , that may be a problem for some.

So, you can now see how I used the Vedral book to add to my program. I don't do any lifting that involves the back being bent over in any way no matter how slight. I always use straight back, legs out to shoulder width and with knees somewhat bent for stability. I have progressed slowly with increasing weights. The pictures in this book are full page and very helpful! I do a number of the laying on my back lifts as well and was told ok for those.

And now to what I consider the really best part of it all for me, although each part of the program has its place. I am now a big fan of tai chi and see tremendous benefit in it. I also really take to the mental side of it. You have said that you have anxiety- well this may just be what you are looking for. It has helped me - not in a way that now my anxiety is totally gone but it is like drinking from a well of refreshing water. I don't know whether all teachers would be as good as Scott Cole. I went to a local class and the teacher just didn't compare well at all to Scott, yet there was some benefit to the classes. What I should have done was view a class with the teacher before signing up. Next time I will do that. Ok, so on to the dvd's. For me, the Beginner's is what I would consider my tai chi work out. The am/pm more like the very meditative , less strenuous oriented moves. But don't get me wrong the beautiful meditative aspect is very much in the Beginners dvd it just has more movement to it. And, the beginner's may in some way have prettier shots and I like the music somewhat better in the Beginners dvd.Both have shots at the beach in Hawaii- very cool! But that being said, the AM PM opened me up further to the inner tai chi.On both dvds there is a wee bit that you won't do if you don't bend at the waist - but it's not much and during this time I do the one leg standing that we talk about here. So- if your body is in a very touchy state, start with the am/pm perhaps to get a taste of tai chi in a somewhat easier format . Otherwise I would say start with Beginners for a bit more. I like both and will do both. I have gone on for quite a bit here, so I won't sing Scott's praises again here as I have done before. I think he is an amazing teacher and just wish I could attend his classes in person.

Let me know if you have any other questions . Oh, I wanted to add, that there is a learning period with either- more with the Beginner's. At first I felt some frustration, feeling like I would never get it. And after maybe the first two times, I didn't think I would get it. But, I so wanted to do the beautiful flowing movements that I just let go of the frustration and said I'll just do what I can each time and then I began to enjoy the process more.I stopped and re-played the moves repeatedly. After about 6-8 times something clicked and things became smoother. It's not instantaneous but at a point you just relax with what you can do and things start falling into place. I think this is part of the subtle way that tai chi works on you , and how it may help the anxiety if you know what I mean.

Thank you for your very imformative reply. I'm sorry it took me so long to
reply to you but, it's been a very busy week here.

How fortunate to find a phys therap group who hosted a Sara class in your
area. I will check Sara's website and see if any phys therap group did this in my area.
I do have a back and knee problem but I will still get the book and see what I can do.

Sounds like I should get Scott's Beginners and AM/PM but will start with the AM/PM. I'd love those shots in Hawaii too!!!

Thanks for the heads up on the "frustration" when getting started. Knowing that, I will persevere through it like you.

Speaking of frustration. I'm still not taking anything for the osteoporosis but Boron, vit D 2000 IU, Vit K and a calcium supp. I can't take the bios and wouldn't take them anyway after seeing all the neg research. Forteo concern is not been researched for longer than 2 yrs and now some posts regarding tooth loss. Got enough dental problems at 63 years old!!. Alt
doc wants me to take Ipriflavone. Question that because it can lower lymphocytes and WBC. Reg doc gave me Fortical Nasal Spray but I seemed to have a reaction to that so in Aug. the allergist is going to test me for salmon which is what Fortical and Miacalcin are. Will be seeing alt doc on Friday and ask about Strontium. I just have myself in such an anxious state over this osteoporsis diag and feeling like time is passing and I'm not taking anything yet. My T score for hip was -3.79-scary!!!

Thanks again for your kind help. As I said before I wish we all lived near eachother and could start an osteoporosis club and work at this together.

Jodianne-I guess this is our osteo club. Anyway that's how I look at it. I have really learned alot here, and that helps with some of the fear. I do know what you are talking about with the anxiety and fear. It really is a challenge. One of the ways that I have looked at it is that we just don't have any idea what the future holds for us and that if we stress everyday about this diagnosis that may never do anything to us, what a waste it would be. We need to do what we can, and everyone will make their own decision, but the anxiety is a waste of time. This is what my more rational mature self says. Sometimes I know this and sometimes I don't.

This may be a tad morbid but what if there was some disaster tomorrow, next year , or in six months and our final period of living was all caught up in this diagnosis and we couldn't think about much else. You get the picture. I guess just as we all decide on the treatment best for us, we also try to develop our own personal way of coping.

Osteoblast,
You're absolutely right, we do tend to get caught up in this decision making
which in turn causes the anxiety. If, when I was diagnosed, the doc would
have said "here's a pill, you'll be fine". But she knew I would not be able to
take Fosamax, Boniva, or Actonel because of my stomach and asked me
to hang in there till she thought this through more because of my other
issues. So-----it was wait like 3 months. In between there I went to the
alt doc,he suggested Ipriflavone. I did research on that and was not all
that happy about what I read and didn't take it. Also gave me Boron which
upset my stomach. Back to reg doc, she suggested Miacalcin. I seemed to
have an allergy to that (being tested by the allergist on thurs). She lightly
mentioned Forteo, but I believe she did not push it since it has not been
researched for a long period and when your 2 yrs are up, you have to take
something else anyway. Meanwhile 6 mos go by and I feel the only thing
I'm doing toward this is taking Vit K, Vit D 2000 IU, Vivactiv and extra dietary calcium. No "real" meds. So, it has been wearing on me for a long time. Alt
doc said he will come up with something else, possibly strontium and call me,
still no call. Will email him this week. So--------I guess it's the waiting and
wondering what I am going to do that creates the anxiety. If I could have started with something immed and it agreed w/ me, I could have put it out of my mind. Some days I just want to say forget it, no meds and take my chances!!
Anyway, thanks for your words of encouragement and I do know what you
are saying and some days that works and others it doesn't!!

Hey I know what you mean, that's why I'm still waiting on it. If I had known it was going to take this long, I would have spent the extra money. Anyway it should be here in the next 10 days. They must sell a lot of these Scott Cole videos-can't wait to get it. I'll keep you guys posted when I finally get it and start the workout, I've waited long enough

Jodianne I bought the Scott Coles dvd's and one was approx $10 and the other approx $13. I bought both of them on the amazon site , but one was from an outside vendor. Unlike DesertBloom, both of mine came very quicky. Did you check prices at Amazon??
You asked what I was on now for osteo. It is forteo. I have been on it now for about 10 months. I may be going off of it at one year , it will depend on lab results at that time. It's not that I am doing so great that I will be coming off of it at one year. The contrary, I may not be reacting to it much. The doc said that about 20% are this way. It is somewhat of a deflated feeling. The plan apparently would be to go on a bisphosphonate for a while and return to forteo at sometime for another course of treatment. It's up in the air now so I don't really know what will happen.

I understand your feeling of anxiety with not knowing where you will go with this diagnosis and what treatment is best for you.Tension over that could of course be difficult. I am wondering if you are near to any major expert in the field. Where are you located?

DesertBloom- I hope you are doing well! I can't believe that you are still awaiting your dvd. Do you have any news on your dexa results?? Also , I have been meaning to ask you whether you recall reading any info on the forteo curve- that is the period your body has a big reaction to the drug and then peaks and comes off that to return to baseline? This has to do with my seeming not too much of a reaction to the drug and thus not wasting time further with it if I am not doing much on it. The forteo insert Figure2-looks like the peak is at 18mo. but the chart cuts off there. If you want to talk about this, maybe you could reply back on a thread that references forteo trtmt. curve. I would love to talk with you and anyone else about this curve thing.

Thanks for your replies. I did chk amazon and they do have the Scott
Coles AM/PM and will give that a try. Never ordered from them.

Osteo I hope too that you will find a regimen that will work for you for
the osteoporosis. My alternative is coming up w/ something else, don't know
what. Some days I just want to forget taking anything!!! You asked where
I am located. I live in PA. I don't know of any major experts in my area,
maybe Phila, just feel they all have the same thing to offer.

Take care and lets all keep in touch and hopefully we can all find something
that works for us and we can tolerate. Now and again I get so disgusted
w/ this situation that I tell my husband, "I'll just wait till my bones fall on
a heap in the middle of the kitchen floor!"
Jodianne